17 You have made the Lord tired with your words. And still you say, How have we made him tired? By your saying, Everyone who does evil is good in the eyes of the Lord, and he has delight in them; or, Where is God the judge?
You have not got me sweet-smelling plants with your money, or given me pleasure with the fat of your offerings: but you have made me a servant to your sins, and you have made me tired with your evil doings.
But you say, For what reason? Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your early years, to whom you have been untrue, though she is your friend and the wife to whom you have given your word.
Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.
Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers. For they have no pain; their bodies are fat and strong. They are not in trouble as others are; they have no part in the unhappy fate of men. For this reason pride is round them like a chain; they are clothed with violent behaviour as with a robe. Their eyes are bursting with fat; they have more than their heart's desire. Their thoughts are deep with evil designs; their talk from their seats of power is of cruel acts. Their mouth goes up to heaven; their tongues go walking through the earth. For this reason they are full of bread; and water is ever flowing for them. And they say, How will the Lord see this? is there knowledge in the Most High? Truly, such are the sinners; they do well at all times, and their wealth is increased. As for me, I have made my heart clean to no purpose, washing my hands in righteousness; For I have been troubled all the day; every morning have I undergone punishment. If I would make clear what it is like, I would say, You are false to the generation of your children.
Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things, Saying, Where is the hope of his coming? From the death of the fathers till now everything has gone on as it was from the making of the world.
For John came, taking no food or drink, and they say, He has an evil spirit. The Son of man has come feasting, and they say, See, a lover of food and wine, a friend of tax-farmers and sinners! And wisdom is judged to be right by her works.
Your words have been strong against me, says the Lord. And still you say, What have we said against you? You have said, It is no use worshipping God: what profit have we had from keeping his orders, and going in clothing of sorrow before the Lord of armies? And now to us the men of pride seem happy; yes, the evil-doers are doing well; they put God to the test and are safe.
Will a man keep back from God what is right? But you have kept back what is mine. But you say, What have we kept back from you? Tenths and offerings.
A son gives honour to his father, and a servant has fear of his master: if then I am a father, where is my honour? and if I am a master, where is the fear of me? says the Lord of armies to you, O priests, who give no value to my name. And you say, How have we not given value to your name? You put unclean bread on my altar. And you say, How have we made it unclean? By your saying, The table of the Lord is of no value.
Because you have not kept in mind the days when you were young, but have been troubling me with all these things; for this reason I will make the punishment of your ways come on your head, says the Lord, because you have done this evil thing in addition to all your disgusting acts.
Then he said to me, The sin of the children of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is full of blood and the town full of evil ways: for they say, The Lord has gone away from the land, and the Lord does not see.
You have given me up, says the Lord, you have gone back: so my hand is stretched out against you for your destruction; I am tired of changing my purpose.
For this cause the Lord will be waiting, so that he may be kind to you; and he will be lifted up, so that he may have mercy on you; for the Lord is a God of righteousness: there is a blessing on all whose hope is in him.
Cursed are those who make use of ox-cords for pulling the evil thing, and the bands of a young ox for their sin! Who say, Let him do his work quickly, let him make it sudden, so that we may see it: let the design of the Holy One of Israel come near, so that it may be clear to us. Cursed are those who give the name of good to evil, and of evil to what is good: who make light dark, and dark light: who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter!
Your new moons and your regular feasts are a grief to my soul: they are a weight in my spirit; I am crushed under them.
He says in his heart, God has no memory of me: his face is turned away; he will never see it. Up! O Lord; let your hand be lifted: give thought to the poor. Why has the evil-doer a low opinion of God, saying in his heart, You will not make search for it?
How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?
For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right; Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong. What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God, And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners? For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Malachi 2
Commentary on Malachi 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
There are two great ordinances which divine wisdom has instituted, the wretched profanation of both of which is complained of and sharply reproved in this chapter.
Mal 2:1-9
What was said in the foregoing chapter was directed to the priests (ch. 1:6): Thus saith the Lord of hosts to you, O priests! that despise my name. But the crimes there charged upon them they were guilty of as sacrificers, and for those they might think it some excuse that they offered what the people brought, and therefore that, if they were not so good as they should be, it was not their fault, but the people's; and therefore here the corruptions there complained of are traced to the source and spring of them-the faults the priests were guilty of as teachers of the people, as expositors of the law and the lively oracles; and this is a part of their office which still remains in the hands of gospel-ministers (who are appointed to be pastors and teachers, like the priests under the law, though not sacrificers, like them), and therefore by them the admonition here is to be particularly regarded. If the priests had given the people better instructions, the people would have brought better offerings; and therefore the blame returns upon the priests: "And now, O you priests! this commandment is purely for you (v. 1), who should have taught the people the good knowledge of the Lord, and how to worship him aright.' Note, The governors of the churches are under God's government, and to him they are accountable. Even for those who command God has commandments. Nay (v. 4), you shall know that I have sent these commandments for you. They should know it either,
Let us now see what this commandment is which is for the priests, which, they must know, was sent to them; and let us put into method the particulars of the charge.
Mal 2:10-17
Corrupt practices are the genuine fruit and product of corrupt principles; and the badness of men's hearts and lives is owing to some loose atheistical notions which they have got and which they govern themselves by. Now, in these verses, we have an instance of this; we here find men dealing falsely with one another, and it is because they think falsely of their God. Observe,